Chained To You
by Ghene
Summary: Flash begins to see life as something to be lived only in the moment after his nearly fatal faceoff with Lex Luthor. In an attempt to save him from himself, Batman follows Flash on the path to self destruction. But things never go as planned. SLASH! BxF
1. Chained To You

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my own original ideas and my soul. And even that is debatable.  
** Notes: **My current obsession is Justice League. Well, okay, more than "obsession." But I digress XD. There is a severe lack of Batman/Flash fiction out there and I feel that it's my job to help raise awareness of that wonderful couple! Yes. So all of you wonderful readers of mine who are sitting here hesitantly, give it a chance and leave lovely reviews because you love me :D (even though I know 90 percent of you are pissed off at the lack of me finishing my other stories)  
**Notes Take Two: _SPOILERS FOR "DIVIDED WE FALL" and the beginning of the first chapter may not make real sense without having seen it._**

(Also,** the prologue is the suxxor, so feel free to skip it and get to the main part of the fic. It sucks a lot less, I promise **XD)

* * *

**Chained To You**  
**Prologue**

**

* * *

**

/_I feel the magic all around you  
It's bringing me to my knees  
Like a wannabe  
I've got to be chained to you_/ -** Chained To You**; **Savage Garde**

The Flash wasn't normally a difficult man to figure out. He was a young kid who still believed in the inner good of all mankind, yet he was jaded just enough to realize that a person's 'inner good' could be buried so deeply that only a lifetime in prison could bring it out.

But he still believed it was there.

He was someone who felt uncomfortable during tense moments and liked to bring up witty observations or make jokes in order to ease the atmosphere. He didn't mind being the target of unappreciative glares as long as some of the tension drained out of the room.

He was a man with a greatly unexpected wisdom - wisdom so simple, it bordered on profound. There had been countless times when Superman or Wonder Woman had become hot headed and with a simple sentence from Flash relaying a message from Grammy Flash, the situation would always end up seeming so much less earth shattering than it had been two minutes before.

The Flash wasn't normally a difficult man to figure out.

Especially to Batman.

Batman wasn't exactly sure when he had begun to watch Flash, or when he had first found himself paying more attention to the 'Flash Cam' on the surveillance screens than to the Radiator Room or Cargo Bay, but he had a strong feeling that it'd all started around the time when they'd had their face off with the Justice Lords. The alternate Batman had been so normal when compared to the other alternates. So like himself. And so caring when it had come to Flash. To the young speedster, it might have just come off as guilt for being unable to stop the alternate Flash's death, or a man missing his lost friend; however, Batman knew differently.

He knew this alternate Batman because he knew himself. He knew how he acted and reacted to the death of friends and colleagues. He also knew how he dealt with the death of those who were more to him. And from the looks of it all, the Flash had been more.

So much more.

And so the quiet watching had begun. Watching and waiting and trying to catch what exactly the alternate Batman had seen in his alternate Flash.

The first week or so, nothing out of the ordinary had been revealed. Things he had already known were merely reiterated. Things like The Flash's favorite color (red), how he enjoyed his soup (lukewarm), and that he had a habit of vibrating his right leg whenever he was nervous.

The following months served as simply a way to discover the even more intriguing traits of Flash (such as the fact that he liked to dance to mainstream pop in his room, while on the outside he prided himself as an underground punk music aficionado). Nothing Batman ever saw, however, was anything he found more than amusing. Yet, he didn't stop watching.

And then entered Cadmus. Cadmus with their plot to destroy the League and its reputation. Cadmus with its revelation that the Justice Lords weren't merely an alternate dimension, but a look into the future. Cadmus with its partnership with Lex Luthor.

And then everything changed. And Batman finally began to see what his alternate saw in Flash.

If only just a little.

Through the worst of the situation, The League had almost become unrecognizable in its chaos. It had slowly been torn apart by doubt, fear and betrayal, and the core members seemed to be in the center of it all. Shayera still hadn't finished adjusting to her return, leaving her to hold back everything she would have put forth before. J'onn had his own issues dealing with the president and the public persona of the League. Wonder Woman and Lantern had private missions to take care of and were barely there to lend a hand as it was. Batman, himself, refused to get involved, instead lying low as a threatening shadow for Cadmus. Superman was becoming a loose canon.

And then there was Flash. Their self-appointed conscience.

No one had thought he'd been serious when he'd made those offhand comments as he grinned across the conference table. Now Batman was beginning to believe that it just might have been the truth.

Throughout it all, Flash stood with a straight back and a fierce loyalty that Batman could only dream of ever having. He refused to waver in the face of doubt and tried wholeheartedly to help the people who had turned against him.

When Green Arrow had announced his resignation from The League due to the lack of faith he'd had in what they were, Flash had flown from his seat to catch the older man by the terminal doors. He'd stood there in silence for a long moment, uncharacteristically quiet, before placing a firm hand on Arrow's shoulder.

"But we're the good guys."

If anyone else had tried to stop him, Green Arrow would have merely shrugged the hand off and snapped, "Yeah, well, we're sure not acting like it," in a bitter reply. But then The Flash had just been so earnest and so heartfelt and _so damn sure_ just like he always was when it came to their integrity that, five minutes later, Arrow had found himself back in his temporary quarters unpacking his things.

It was no secret now that the League was entering a time where they would either come out stronger or destroy themselves along the way. The skeptic in Batman had him believing in the latter. He hoped to whatever gods existed that he was wrong.

But Flash seemed to be taking everything in stride. He hadn't given in to the fear the rest of the team held, hadn't strayed from his normal humanitarian ways – he hadn't even raised an eyebrow when, in the heat of the moment, Superman had muttered in anger, "God, I could just _kill_ Lex Luthor."

Yet, there was something off about him. Something that the others just didn't see or wrote of to the intensity of their current circumstances.

The first time Batman realized something was seriously wrong had been when there'd been an awkward silence that had stretched on far longer than it should have. Especially with Flash in the room.

The Flash wasn't normally a difficult man to figure out.

But this situation was far from normal.

* * *

**Chained To You  
Chapter One**

* * *

He didn't scare easily. In a world where death was a city's most common illness, it took much more than a breaking lifeline to strike fear into him; whether it be his own or the line of one of his colleague's. 

Yet, at that instant, Batman could easily say that the only time he had ever felt more fear in his life had been when his parents had been shot.

But this wasn't his parents. This was Flash.

And someone was still going to get shot.

_Get up!_ he ordered himself, struggling to crawl into some sort of sitting position where he could access his weapons. Falling back down, he took in a deep breath to ignore the pain shooting through him and craned his neck. One look across the battlefield at his fallen comrades told him all he knew.

There was no one left to save Flash.

Flash was going to die.

He brought his gaze back to the captured hero and felt his breath catch when Luthor stepped closer, cocking the gun within his hands.

"No…" Flash said softly, vibrating his arms just enough to send the cybernetic soldiers holding him into sparks. Luthor backed off and let his gun dissipate, a smirk forming on his lips.

Batman had never felt so relieved.

"Are you going to fight me, boy?" Lex wondered haughtily. Flash took a step back and stared at him.

_Now's not the time to be an idiot…Get out of here._ More than anything Batman wished he had J'onn's telepathic powers so he could make his thoughts known, but as it was, all he could do was watch and wait.

The soft sound of feet too fast for the ground hit his ears, and he looked up in relief at the sight of Lex Luthor alone. He grunted. Now, if he could only get up….

The footsteps were back. And faster.

Head jerking up, Batman stared with wide eyes as Flash hit Luthor hard enough for a piece of the armor to rip off. He blinked and suddenly Flash was attacking again.

And again.

And again. Each time getting faster until there was a mere crackle of energy flying through the air.

And then the crackle was on top of Luthor and all that could be heard was Luthor's screams.

"Flash…" Batman coughed, finally gathering enough strength to stand. Random sparks of energy danced around the scene, spitting out any piece of debris small enough to be lifted up and thrown. Side stepping a can that soared towards him, Batman felt a sickening sense of dread as the air around him was suddenly sucked away and the cries were replaced by silence.

It was almost as time had stopped.

And then came the explosion.

Seconds had transformed into hours and Batman's fingers had nearly grasped one of his bat-a-rangs when the smoke finally began to clear. Helpless, wearing nothing but a deeply horrified expression, Lex Luthor lay brokenly at Flash's feet.

Flash stared at his own two hands as if this was the first time he was really seeing them, before turning an anxious face towards his comrades, stumbling as he stepped out of the crater that had been formed.

"I feel kind of…" Batman sucked in a breath at the hollow quality of Flash's voice, feeling a violent twist in his stomach as the vision of Flash began to flicker. "..funny…"

And then he was gone.

"Flash!" Batman heard someone scream. Diana. Or maybe Shayera. It didn't matter.

He felt sick.

And that bastard Lex was laughing.

"What do you know? I did kill him."

Clenching his fists in anger, Batman stepped forward to finish the job Flash had started, pausing only when he noticed the dangerous tensing of Superman's frame. The sudden fear on Luthor's face was enough to tell Batman that justice would be served.

"I was mistaken earlier…I think this is the part where you kill me," Lex managed to spit out before he was suddenly dangling several feet off the ground, neck frighteningly close to collapsing beneath the pressure of Superman's grip.

At that moment, Batman wanted nothing more than to see Lex Luthor burn for what he'd done. Wanted that superficial thing called revenge that he'd spent his entire life fighting.

As Diana came running up beside him, he shot out his arm, preventing her from interfering with what was Superman's fight. Later, he would claim that it had been a matter of trust in his friend – the knowledge that Superman would never hurt a fly.

Now, though…now, it was the little voice inside his head that hoped to the Gods that he'd get a light show to mourn Flash's death.

And that scared him more than he was willing to admit.

"Superman! Everyone! Flash is still alive! I'm in telepathic contact with him…"

Batman whipped around at J'onn's words.

"His spirit is weak…and growing weaker. But he's still here."

Flash was still alive.

A determined expression crossed Shayera's face as she stood straight, holding her hand out in front as she felt the surrounding air for any lapses in its continuum. Batman's breath caught as he watched, every one of her steps seeming like a mile.

She had moved a mere foot or so before her fingertips grazed the edges of the anomaly, light bursting forth from what seemed like nowhere.

"FLASH!" she cried, thrusting her arm into the glow. Flash's voice returned as an echo, eerily describing the peace he'd found.

Batman suddenly felt like he was watching a movie. The slow button had been pressed, the volume had been lowered, and the plot was all askew. As he witnessed the scene before him, his teammates lining up to pull Flash from his death, the detachment grew stronger, allowing him room to think coherently for the first time since the battle had begun.

John had been the first to assist Shayera in the struggle, gripping on to her free hand as if the world would fall apart if he were to let go.

Theirs just might.

Next had been J'onn, whom Flash had always affectionately referred to as his "old man" whenever he thought J'onn wasn't within hearing distance.

Batman didn't need the Martian's telepathy to know the joy it had brought J'onn to be a father again.

Superman, the one who cared for Flash enough to murder the President, followed.

The final piece of the puzzle was Diana. Though she was last, Batman knew that in her heart, Flash had replaced the sisters she'd left behind, acting as her confident and friend when the rest of the team couldn't be bothered with the trivial issues of the modern world that always seemed like mountains to an Amazon.

And then there was himself. Batman.

Where was he?

He wanted to be first. He wanted to come before John and Shayera. He wanted to be the first thing Flash laid eyes on when he was saved. He wanted Flash to want him to come first.

But now was not the time to be so selfish.

Grabbing hold of Diana's wrist, Batman pulled with all of his might.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

It had all started with a simple phrase. One simple sentence he'd uttered so many times in the past that the words had become meaningless.

Except this time, when they weren't.

"I'll go with you."

Pleasantly surprised had been the only way to describe the odd expression that crossed Flash's face at the announcement. He'd raised an eyebrow as his patented half-grin snapped into place, and before Batman could even register the words that had come out of his mouth, he found himself strapped into the pilot's seat of the javelin.

Coordinates had been given, missions had been explained, and very suddenly he and Flash were flying in an oddly comfortable silence to some strange planet in the next galaxy.

"How 'bout some tunes?" Apparently, though, the silence wasn't comfortable enough for Flash.

"No," Batman replied almost instantly, quickly typing in the code that prevented the Javelin's CD player from being activated by anyone aside from the pilot. He'd had it installed in the event that an incriminating sound clip had been recorded and needed to be heard while on a mission. Unfortunately, Flash had taken advantage of it when he wasn't around.

And sometimes when he was.

"Aww, c'mon, Bats. You're no fun. John only pretends to hate my music…" There was a pout in his voice and Batman had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

"We're on a mission, not a joyride," he hissed, knowing full well that the tone of his voice implied that the conversation was over.

"But what if we die during this mission, huh? Then won't you regret that you didn't rock out to painfully loud guitars, obnoxious drum beats and barely discernable lyrics?"

"If we die during this mission, I don't think I'll be alive to care," Batman returned flatly, glancing at a deflating Flash from out of the corner of his eye. He reveled in the quiet as the javelin's engine once again became the single source of sound. Now, if only—

"When you die, is your last thought really of the person most important to you?"

Batman was startled by the question.

"What?"

"You know…I always hear that when you die, your last thought is of the person you care about most in the world…" Flash sounded oddly calm, yet his body exuded the slightest uncertainty that only a great detective could pick up.

"I don't know. I haven't died. And if I had, I don't think I'd be able to tell you."

"Oh…" The younger hero was silent for a moment. "I almost died."

"I know, I was there."

"My last thought was of someone."

"Was it?" Batman tried as hard as he could to sound disinterested.

"Yeah."

And just when Batman had decided that he didn't much mind the sound of Flash's voice, the younger hero merely shrugged and turned his attention towards the frosty window.

**OoOoOoOoO**

"So what exactly are we doing here again?" Flash drawled over the Javelin's radio, keeping a raised eyebrow on the peaceful jungle surrounding them.

"Just a routine check-up to make sure all is well with Collandar," John's voice replied gruffly. "It's a customary follow-up procedure for all worlds that we've helped established a democracy on. We just--"

"Want to make sure we didn't accidentally start off the apocalypse?"

"Something like that." John paused and spoke to someone out of Flash's hearing range. When he came back he sounded slightly irritated. "Put Batman on."

Rolling his eyes, Flash sat up and gave the man next to him a side-glance. He leaned back down and spoke into the speaker.

"Alright, I'll let the grown-ups talk," he replied dryly as he stood and walked to the exit of the Javelin.

Batman sat still for a long moment, deciding that there was something very wrong with the scene that had just played out in front of him.

"Batman?" Snapping out of his thoughts, Batman grabbed the handheld radio and pressed the button that removed the stereo from speakerphone.

"I'm here."

"Good...Listen," John said nervously, "Is Wally anywhere nearby?"

Batman shifted in his seat. If John was using Flash's real name then he had a feeling the Lantern wasn't about to say anything lighthearted.

"No, he isn't…why?"

There was a silence on the other end of the line that Batman decided he didn't like at all. Two seconds later, John was back.

"Have you noticed that something strange has been going on with him lately?"

Frowning, Batman glanced out the windshield of the Javelin, watching as Flash picked a flower from some exotic plant.

"Strange, how?"

"Well…" John sighed, voice sounding awkward, "You know…not himself. Moody….And less annoying."

All at once a large insect shot out of one of the neighboring flowers and sent Wally up in the air with a surprised yelp. The creature floated above the plants curiously, before landing on a cautious Wally's shoulder. Batman could almost feel Wally's immediate attraction and knew that he'd soon be having a discussion with the younger hero about how there was no room for 'pets' on the Watchtower.

Even if it was a giant bug.

"I might have noticed the moodiness, at least," he replied, rubbing the bridge of his nose. John chuckled.

"Well, I talked to Superman about it, and we agreed it seemed to have started after…you know." The hesitant manner didn't escape Batman and he wondered why, if Flash could talk about his near death experience so casually, no one else seemed to be able to. Nevertheless, he nodded, though he knew he couldn't be seen.

"Yeah," he offered vocally.

"And so, we decided, if anything, maybe the boy just needs a vacation to allow himself some time to recuperate."

"And so this mission…" A feeling of dread was beginning to grow in the pit of Batman's stomach.

"The Collandarians couldn't be more at peace with their new democracy – J'onn's already taken care of it."

The dread quickly turned to agitation.

"I don't have time for vacations, John," he hissed into the speaker. He could almost see the former marine roll his eyes.

"I know you don't. We were going to suggest that Shayera go with him, but you suddenly volunteered, and what could we say? We weren't about to blow our cover."

"Well, now what?"

"Now you just keep an eye on the kid to make sure he doesn't accidentally fall off a cliff or something."

"And what do I tell him about the Collandarians?"

"They're up to speed. They know we're coming to 'check up' on them again."

"And if he does somehow manage to get himself into trouble anyway?"

"Then Clark's got two laser beams already pointed at your ass."

"I'll remember that," Batman muttered, sliding his finger over the 'End Transmission' button. "Batman out."

"His name is Barry." A lifetime of training was the only thing keeping Batman from jumping out of his seat at the voice that was very suddenly in his ear.

"What?" he snapped, turning around to face Flash. The younger man was cradling his newfound pet in his arms, looking almost like a mother with her baby.

"I said his name his Barry. After Uncle Barry."

"How do you know it's a he?" Every logical cell in his being told Batman that humoring The Flash was nothing but a waste of everyone's time. Unfortunately, however, until this mission was over, Batman had an abundance of time to spare.

"How do you know he's not?" Flash shot back stubbornly. Batman resisted the urge to roll his eyes for not the first time that day.

"Don't get too attached. It's not coming back with us."

"I know. I wouldn't do that…he's got a boyfriend here."

Batman fell back with a start, choking on the air caught in his throat.

"What?"

"I said he has a boyfriend," Flash repeated, apparently not seeing anything wrong with the words coming out of his mouth. Batman swallowed.

"Oh."

"Is there a problem with that? Because, you know, just because a bug is gay, it doesn't mean that it's worth any less and it can't, you know, run as good. And if other bugs have a problem with that than they can kiss its red encased ass."

Blinking, Batman fought hard not to mention that the insect's ass was, in fact, green.

**OoOoOoOoO**

"Thish ish sho _good_," Flash managed through his mouthful of caramelized sea apples, a Colladarian specialty. Contrary to the name, Batman thought the fruits actually appeared to be more from the citrus family, with their thick skin and meaty insides. Perhaps they were a close cousin--

"Shtop overanalyzing my food."

"Hn?"

Swallowing, Flash stood and brought the bark he'd been given to use as a plate to a small shelf located by the bed. "You were staring at it like you always stare at things when you don't know what to make of them." Placing the bark on the shelf, he watched in childish amazement as the plate dematerialized and disappeared.

"Why can't we have _that_ at the wash tower? It'd save on some major dishwashing time."

"You don't even do the--" Batman froze.

Wait.

What?

"You know my looks?"

Rolling his eyes, Flash sat on the corner of the bed he'd chosen for himself, jerking off his mask.

"Well _that_ one because you don't use it a lot because you're too damn smart for your, hell, _anybody's_ own good." Wally yawned and stretched, throwing himself back into the mattress. "Whenever you see something new you either stare at it long and hard when you're unsure of something, or, the more popular one, your eyes kinda just move up and down it until you've figured it out down to its last DNA strand."

"Hn," Batman answered noncommittally, looking anywhere but at the redhead.

"I'll tell you what, the Collandarians sure know how to treat a guest," Wally mumbled under his breath, eyes scanning the Guest of Honor suite they had been set up with at what had formally been the royal palace. He turned over on his side and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, Bats. You ever gonna remove that mask?"

"No."

Wally shrugged, unfazed, and shifted so that he was on his back.

"Night, B."

"Hn." Batman kept his eyes on the wall until he recognized the even breaths of sleep coming from his colleague. Gathering up every knowledgeable skill he'd ever acquired, Batman slowly made his way to Wally's side, watching the steady rise and fall of the younger hero's chest, wondering how the hell he could be so deeply affected by someone so…_Wally_.

Shit.

* * *

**TBC**

* * *


	2. Your Every Color

**Notes**: Sorry this is so late! But I just saw '_Flash and Substance_', which is the most Batman/Flash-y episode I have seen yet, so it made me get back into the mood :)

_Thanks for all the reviews guys! I really was _not_ expecting them to be so many and so wonderful :)_

___

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_

**Chained To You**  
**Chapter Two **

* * *

/___ You're coffee brown and bubble gum pink  
And oh I think the shade of you is on the brink  
Of changing all the ways I see the world  
I could drown inside a single drop  
Of all the kinds of things you got  
And all the kinds of things I'm not /_ - **Your Every Color **;** Train**

He was moving around. Quietly and carefully, so as not to wake his sleeping roommate.

But Bruce had been awake from the first creak of Wally's bed.

A door shut and closed nearly silently, and Bruce opened his eyes only when he was sure Wally had left the room. Groaning to himself, he sat up, stretching his arms behind his back, wincing at a loud crack that came from somewhere inside himself.

After a moment, Bruce stepped out of bed, immediately reaching for his costume, pausing when he noticed a red mask and suit hanging haphazardly beside his own.

He wouldn't… Bruce rolled his eyes.

But he had.

Quickly shoving on his mask and body suit, Batman grabbed Flash's uniform as well, storming out of the room in a way certain to make any redheads he approached aware that he wasn't very happy.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

He found Wally sitting alone atop the Javelin, wearing his civilians. The younger hero appeared lost in thought, eyes cast out at the sea that surrounded Collandar, knees tucked tightly to his chest. The rising sun created a soft light against his silhouette.

All anger instantly drained out of Batman, replaced only by a small tinge of irritation.

"Wally," he said gruffly, trying to sound as stern as possible. The redhead turned strange blue eyes towards him, appearing somewhere between startled and lost.

Looking away, Batman held out Wally's uniform.

"Oh."

There was silence for a moment, before the outfit was ripped from Batman's hands and a smug laughter came from behind. Batman turned around and the blue eyes were now hidden by a tacky red mask.

"You just missed being able to see my ass," Flash smirked, waving around the baggy jeans he had been donning just moments before.

Feeling far more comfortable with this version of Wally, Batman made a disapproving sound.

"You are not to go out in public, in a place where it's obvious who you are, in civilian wear," he snapped, folding his arms across his chest. Flash grinned.

"Hey, hey, hey. They could have thought I was Batman. I didn't have to be Flash. There are two humans here, aren't there?"

Batman snorted. Laughing, Flash flexed his muscles, dancing around the darker man with a playful smirk.

"You're right," he countered, "I'm much better looking."

With a roll of his eyes, Batman turned and began his trek back toward the palace.

"Hey, hey! Don't hate me because I'm beautiful!"

Cursing under his breath, Batman sped up his walk. Hating Flash because of his looks was the opposite of what he was worried about.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

It was only a day later when Green Lantern sent another message, this time urging their return.

"I thought you said he needed a vacation?" Batman replied, irritated at being called away from looking unaffected as Flash played in the sea with some of the young Callandarians, his suit even tighter than usual due to the wetness.

Shit.

Maybe he was thankful Lantern had contacted him.

"J'onn's leaving."

The statement was abrupt and it took a moment for the words to sink in.

"What?"

"He's leaving, Bruce. On some fucked up mission to fucking find himself." Batman closed his eyes and let out a heavy breath, knowing full well that the ex-marine used foul language during efforts not to show vulnerability. He could only imagine how Flash would react to the news.

"When?"

"He said he'd wait until you and Wally came back."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Batman sighed.

"We're on our way."

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

"So what's the big emergency?" Flash wondered as used his finger to trace invisible lines between the stars against the window. He had been yanked away from his new Colladarian friends, shoved unexpectedly into the Javelin, and hadn't even gotten a chance to say goodbye to Barry in the sudden rush he had found Batman in. "Did we forget someone's birthday?"

"Knock it off," Batman snapped.

"Jeez, what's got your bat-a-rangs in a tangle?"

Sensing the shadow of hurt in Flash's voice, Batman sat back, staying silent for a long moment as he collected his thoughts. Setting the Watchtower coordinates into the Javelin, he spoke quietly.

"Someone is leaving."

"For real?" Eyes widening, Flash shot up in his seat, interest perked by the news. "Who? Who? Aw, man, I hope it's Elongated Man-"

"Wally."

"--He's such a dick--"

"Wally."

"--Oh! Oh! Is it Booster?--"

"Wally."

"---I mean, that'd suck and all, but he has to go back to the future at some point--"

"Wally."

Snapping out of his rambled thoughts, Flash stared at Batman as though he had just realized the older hero was there.

"What?"

"It's J'onn."

"What?"

Batman sighed. "I said it's--"

"I know. I know what you said. Rhetorical question, Bats." Flash frowned, sinking back down in his seat again. "Why would GL leave? Did Shayera get to be too much for him? I mean, I knew it was awkward, but…"

"Not that one."

"I…" Flash stopped, realization dawning. "What do you mean leaving? Like… never coming back? For good? Or like… he'll be gone for a week?"

"Do you honestly think we would have cut a mission short just to go back if it was only for a week?"

"Oh."

Standing silently, an odd expression on his face, Flash turned and made his way to the back room of the Javelin.

Batman cursed.

He really needed to work on this 'comforting' thing.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

Throughout the team-wide farewell, Batman kept a mindful eye on Flash, surprised at the grace with which he smiled and hugged J'onn, before stepping back to allow Shayera her chance to say goodbye.

He was decidedly less surprised to find Flash, an hour later, alone in the observation deck, hand pressed uncertainly against the large window as he gazed out at the infinite expanse of space. He looked small.

Batman cleared his throat.

"What if something happens? What if J'onn dies, or I die, and we never see each other again?"

Opening his mouth to retort that Flash was being stupid, Batman immediately closed it, something in the younger hero's voice halting him.

"I mean… I know it's corny and all… but J'onn was like a father to me… and my father, hell…he's not a father…mom barely talks to me anymore, too busy with Ernesto," Flash nearly spat the word, "Everyone else is gone… and I only have you guys. And Shayera left… I mean, yeah, she came back, but what if she hadn't? And what if J'onn doesn't? And what if someone else leaves?" he cursed under his breath, "We can't be the seven core members if there's not seven of us!"

Batman wished for the life of him that he had Green Lantern and Shayera's tact when it came to dealing with Flash. As the case was, all he could do was stand there awkwardly, waiting for the other man to calm himself.

A thick silence lolled between them.

"Wally…" Batman walked up beside him, placing what he wanted to be a comforting hand on Flash's shoulder. "I know how it feels to be left alone. All of us do, probably more than others. But that's why we fight, so others don't have to feel what we have…. But we all lose people or get lost ourselves eventually."

Flash sniffled and for a brief moment, Batman wondered if he had been crying. He shifted uneasily.

"Is that why you're all such sticks in the mud?" Flash said with an unexpected teasing tone, his frame relaxing only slightly.

"Possibly."

Standing straight, Flash glanced at Batman out of the corner of his eye, before turning back to the view of the window.

"But you know, Bats… what good is tomorrow without a guarantee, anyway?"

Batman was very quickly lost on Flash's train of thought.

"Hn?"

"We all lose people or get lost ourselves, right? Well, what if it happens today… or tomorrow…or yesterday, and we'd just spent the entire time with fucking logs up our asses?" Flash wondered, his voice growing with every sentence. A look of determination crossed his face.

Batman frowned, feeling that he had very suddenly put thoughts in the younger hero's head that he shouldn't have.

"Wally, I didn't--"

"Thanks for the talk, Bats. John and Shayera usually just try to cheer me up, but you tell it to me straight. I appreciate it, dude." And with a lopsided grin and a blaze of red and yellow, Flash was gone.

Shit.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

"I'm going on a road trip."

"Hn."

"I said I'm going on a road trip."

"Hn…"

A deep breath.

"Hello? I said, I'm going on a--"

"I heard you the first time," Bruce snapped, turning away from the computer console of the Bat Cave, facing Wally full on. "And how does this affect me?"

Wally grinned as though he thought Bruce would never ask.

"You're coming with me."

Rolling his eyes, Bruce turned back to his work. "You're less amusing than usual."

"Bruce! I'm serious! I want to see this country."

"You could have visited every state in the time this conversation took place."

"Yeah," Wally frowned, "But I want to see it for what it's worth. When I use my speed I can't really take the time to enjoy anything except the destination. And I have to be in superhero mode the entire time."

"No."

"C'mon, Bats! What good is protecting the world if you've never seen it?"

"I've seen enough. Take John with you."

"But…" Wally seemed to stumble for a moment, before continuing, "I want you to go with me."

Raising a suspicious eyebrow, Bruce gazed at Wally's reflection in the computer screen.

"You'd rather me than John or Shayera?"

"Well, Shayera would be damn pretty hard to disguise with those big-ass wings of hers…" Coughing, Wally shook his head, "I mean…but even if she wasn't. Yes."

"Who would protect Gotham?"

"All of your really dangerous baddies are locked up in maximum security and even if they escape, we can just get beamed back from wherever we are, right? And for the little things… I mean, Christ, we have a entire team of superheroes in space and on land. Diana or whoever can just fly in and handle it."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Bruce sighed. There was a large part of him that objected to even considering obliging Wally's request. Unfortunately, an even larger part (one that blushed like a schoolboy when Wally admitted Bruce had come before John and Shayera) wondered if this trip wouldn't be a bad idea.

"I'm not good company," Bruce finally said, in a last effort to dissuade Wally from his mission. The redhead merely grinned.

"I disagree."

"I'll probably yell at you. A lot."

"Used to it."

"We'll fight."

"And make up."

"The tabloids will talk."

"About Bruce Wayne spending some quality time with his newly found nephe--"

"-I'm an only child--"

"—Cousin? Really, it'll just make you all the more appealing, dearest."

Bruce sighed.

"We'd need to inform the Watchtow--"

"Already done! They know we're leaving tonight."

Sitting up straight, Bruce turned to look at Wally in disbelief.

"You told them I was going before you even asked me?"

"Yep!"

"Did you even consider I'd say no?"

"Well, are you?"

"I can't just leave tonight. I have things to do."

"Honestly, Bruce? What the hell do you even spend your time doing aside from checking in on every League mission and villain across the seven continents? Which, I should remind you, Mr. Terrific is already doing."

Feeling an odd heat on his cheeks at being caught, Bruce looked away.

"Dude, come on. Be spontaneous for once in your life!"

Staying silent for a long moment, Bruce put his head in his hands, rubbing his forehead. "Tell Alfred to pack my things."

"Bruce! You're the best! Awesome!" Wally cheered, throwing himself onto Bruce for a fierce hug, before darting up the stairs.

Turning back to the computer console, Wally's warmth only slightly fading, Bruce suddenly thought that maybe, quite possibly, this trip wouldn't turn out completely horrible.

**OoOoOoOoOoO**

"You know, Bruce… we only need a few…." Wally trailed off as Bruce dropped yet another box into the back of what had formally been The Flashmobile (now painted a simple, inconspicuous green at John's request and for security purposes). "What is all this stuff?"

"Make-up, costumes, our uniforms… things we might need if we run into trouble."

"But--"

"Our line of work doesn't provide the luxury of vacations, Wally."

"Right…"

Noticing the sudden dampening of Wally's mood, Bruce added awkwardly, "Hopefully we won't need to use any of it."

Wally grinned. "So are we ready to hit the road?"

"Are you sure you want to go with me?"

"Yes. Now quit whining." A mischievous smirk crossed Wally's face as he edged towards the passenger's side of the van. "I call shotgun!" he cackled, before darting inside.

Bruce frowned at him, coming up beside the door. "Wally, there are only two of us."

Wally laughed. "I know."

"So isn't it meaningless of you to call this seat? Who else would take it?"

"You."

"But then--" Bruce froze, realizing what Wally had just done.

Shit.

"You know... for the World's Greatest Detective, you really are kinda slow," Wally teased as he held up to keys for Bruce. The older man grumbled under his breath, before snatching the keys away and getting into the driver's seat.

It suddenly occurred to him, that if it had been anyone else, he would have exercised his patented "You'd-Better-Start-Running" look and that would have been the end of it. Yet he'd just let Wally walk all over him.

The frightening part was that he found he didn't at all mind.

* * *

**TBC**

* * *


End file.
